


a book in its place and a place for every book

by xylaria



Category: Steerswoman Series - Rosemary Kirstein
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-17
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-20 15:41:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17025441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xylaria/pseuds/xylaria
Summary: Rowan attends a sorting party





	a book in its place and a place for every book

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sandalwoodbox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandalwoodbox/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide sandalwoodbox!

Three weeks after her return from the demon lands, Rowan woke in the evening to faint music and the sounds of a large group of people coming from downstairs. Her room was dark, faint light leaking from under the closed door giving just enough light to see that the chair next to the bed was empty. No light leaked around the curtains on the window, meaning it was at least past 9:30 in the evening. Rowan thought back, and vaguely remembered hearing Steffie and Zenna discussing preparations for some sort of party the previous day.

Rowan briefly considered trying to go back to sleep, but found herself with enough energy to feel restless. After a moment of indecision, Rowan sat up and pulled on her clothes. She stood cautiously using Zenna’s spare crutches and made her way slowly down the stairs. She paused halfway down, both for a rest and to observe the crowd in the main room of the Annex. It looked like half of Alemeth was crowded in, and spilling out the front door into the yard. Tables set up along the east wall were piled with food, and Belinda and a young man whose name Rowan couldn’t remember were in one corner playing music.

Across the room, where she would have the best view of the stairway, was Bel. She leaned against the wall, apparently idly watching the musicians. However as soon as Rowan had come within her sight on the stairs she looked up. Rowan held her gaze for a moment until movement from the left caught her eye. Four people, including Dan the cooper and one of Maisie’s girls walked out of the shelves. The cluster of people seated around Zenna near the fireplace looked up, and Dan shouted something that Rowan couldn’t hear above the general din of the party. Zenna smiled and gestured at the people around her to make room for the newcomers, and Steffie handed each of them a mug of beer. 

Curious as to what was going on, Rowan started back down the stairs. By the time she made it to the bottom, several people in the room were openly staring, and Rowan realized that this was the first time since her return from the demon lands that she had been in public, even if really the public had come to her. Bel met her at the bottom of the stairs and hovered next to her. 

“I’m fine Bel,” she said quietly, but Bel only gave her a skeptical look and a quiet ‘ha’ and didn’t move from her spot. As Rowan approached, Zenna shooed someone off of the chair next to her and Rowan gratefully lowered herself into it. Slowly the level of noise rose back to the previous levels. 

Rowan sat and listened to the conversations swirl around her. Maysie and Zenna were talking about the number of people who wanted reading lessons, since the party started up, and maybe setting up a school in the Annex one evening a week. Old Galer had accidently mixed up the laundry and dyed everyone’s knickers blue the week before. One of Choley’s pigs had escaped and he had chased it all over town before catching, but not before ending up completely spattered in mud. Rowan let it wash over her, not attending particularly to one conversation or another. 

After about fifteen minutes Dan set his empty mug aside and stood up.

“I think I could do a few more, how about you Evanna?” He asked, looking at the one of Maysie’s girls who had come out of the stacks with him. Evanna shrugged and stood as well. 

“I bet I can do twice as many as you this time,” she said with a wink.

“You’re on!” Dan said, and both of them headed towards the books. Rowan watched in puzzlement before turning her questioning gaze to Bel. 

“It’s a book sorting party,” Bel said, which explained nothing as far as Rowan was concerned. Steffie, seeing her puzzlement, explained about the logbooks and the book sorting parties. It was an ingenious solution Rowan thought. And exactly the sort of thing Zenna would think of. And explained why so many people in Alemeth were suddenly wanting to learn to read.

After he finished his explanation Steffie stood up. 

“My reading is getting a lot better, I bet I can sort nearly as many as Evanna now,” he said by way of explanation, before heading towards the aisles. 

Rowan turned to Bel, to find Bel regarding her with a thoughtful look on her face. Rowan waited, knowing that Bel would tell her what she was thinking when she was ready. 

“I bet working together we could sort as many books as Evanna,” she said after a moment, eyeing Rowan cautiously. “If you’re feeling up to it.”

Rowan considered for a moment. If she sorted the books, and Bel shelved them, then they would likely be more efficient than a single person working alone. And she still felt, while not good, certainly with more energy than she had had since coming back from the demon lands. 

In answer she grabbed her crutches and pulled herself to her feet. Bel walked in front of her, clearing the path, and this time the hubbub of the room didn’t change as she passed through. By the time she reached the aisles Bel had pulled out the chair at the small work table for her and had placed a stack of books to one side. Rowan settled herself and immediately set to work. For a moment she felt her old anger at how Mira had allowed the Annex fall into such disorder as to make sorting parties necessary, but quickly pushed those thoughts aside to focus on ordering the first stack of books for Bel to take to the appropriate shelf. 

They worked in companionable silence, Rowan sorting books into stacks of five to ten by aisle, and Bel taking those stacks and shelving them. Rowan could sort much faster than Bel could shelve, and soon Steffie had started working on shelving her piles of books as well. After fifteen minutes Rowan ran out books within easy reach from her chair. When she suggested that Bel should bring her more, Bel gave her a fond, but irritated look.

“This is a party, you’re not mean to spend the whole time sorting books,” Steffie said, coming up behind Bel. “Dan and Evanna have already gone back.”

“And if we sort any more, you won’t have enough energy to enjoy the party,” Bel added. Rowan thought about saying that for her, this was as much fun as the party, but a look at Bel and Steffie made her close her mouth. 

Once he was sure Rowan would follow, Steffie headed back out into the main room. Bel hung back. When Rowan stood, Bel came up and took one of her crutches, inserting herself under Rowan’s arm in its place. Rowan turned her head, pressing a gentle kiss to Bel’s temple. One good thing, at least, had come from her trip to the demon lands, even if those first few days after she became coherent again had been painfully awkward when she had realized the things she had said while delirious. 

Gentle pressure of Bel’s hand on her waist brought Rowan back to the present and they made their slow way back to the main room. 

 

Later that evening, after Rowan had become tired and retreated back upstairs to her room, though far before the party had fully wrapped up, Bel sat next to Rowan on her bed, gently running her fingers through Rowan’s hair. 

“It was a good party,” Rowan commented idly, eyes closed. Bel gave a soft hum of agreement, her fingers continuing their gentle movements. Rowan opened her eyes, gazing up at Bel for a moment before reaching over and pointedly drawing back the covers on the bed. Bel regarded Rowan critically for a moment before sliding under the covers next to her, giving her a quick kiss before lying down. Rowan closed her eyes again and fell asleep with Bel warm against her side.


End file.
